The present disclosure relates to pallets, and more specifically, to shields to protect pallet blocks and stringers.
Cushioned pallets (or shock pallets) can be used when shipping fragile products that are susceptible to damage in transit. These pallets are designed with cushioning and/or dampening material integrated in the pallets' blocks and stringers to reduce the shock seen by the products mounted onto the pallets. These pallets can be used to protect large and heavy rack products (1000+ lbs) against shock and/or vibration damage while the product is being shipped. Large rack products can be handled somewhere within the supply chain by a fork lift. This is because the products are so large and heavy, that moving via pallet jack is extremely slow, and depending on the infrastructure, impossible if the rack product needs to change elevation (either go up a hill or sit onto a raised area). Fork lifts are large and generally have to move and turn static products to get them to fit properly within trucks and warehouses to maximize space. In some cases there is not any room, or there is just no time for the fork lift operator to pick a product up and move it via a series of turns. Damage can occur to wooden stringers and blocks and when soft foam blocks are used, the results can be disastrous when a careless or hurried fork lift driver wishes to turn a heavy rack product in transit by using the fork tines to push the blocks. These blocks can be damaged or cut to the point that the pallet integrity is compromised.